Wanderlei Silva vs. Tito Ortiz
After Tito Ortiz's loss to Frank Shamrock for the middleweight (199) title, Shamrock retired and vacated the championship and Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva were chosen as top contenders. After the fight, a number of time after, the division was renamed to light-heavyweight (205). The Fight The first round began. They circled. Silva looked like he was expecting a takedown. They circled some more. Silva landed an inside leg kick. They circled some more. Silva landed the leg kick. Tito came for the takedown but Silva sort of pushed him aside not too hard, Tito more like moved. Silva missed a combination and an uppercut and Tito got the takedown into full guard finally. Silva had his legs sort of split with one foot against the cage and the other in another direction. He was doing it again. He was really using that cage. Scattered chants of 'Tito' could be heard. Tito was smothering him. Silva was trying to wallwalk again. Tito postured up and landed some good shots. Silva was wallwalking again. This was kinda boring. Okay, I'll admit it, it's really boring. Yep... Just.. Yep. Yawn. Just over one minute left. Please hurry. I'm dying over here. The cheers had sorta stopped. Fifty-five seconds remained. Silva landed an elbow from the bottom. The referee told them to work, but I don't think at that point in UFC history they could stand them up. In Baroni-Lindland they could but not at this stage. Fifteen seconds left, you know? Tito landed a few pitter-patters from the top and the first round ended. The second round began. They came out and circled. Silva landed some good usual haymaker combinations, stuffed a takedown, landed some more, Tito landed a big right and Silva went for a double leg and Tito sprawled. Tito shoved Silva down into full guard. Yep the round is over pretty much, this sucks. Tito landed a few nice shots and some more. Hugfest. Tito landed a few hammerfists. This sucked. Why isn't the crowd booing? Hey look, Tito even had his trademark flame trunks even then. Two minutes and ten seconds remained. Tito tried to pass but Silva scrambled back to guard. One minute and thirty-five seconds remained. Fifty-five seconds remained. Hmm they were already using ground-and-pound at this point, Mark Coleman coined the term. Fifteen seconds remained. Tito landed a few good shots from the top and some more. The second round ended. Wow, shitty Jap ring girls. The third round began. They circled. Silva was keeping his distance. He put his hands on his knees for a moment and took a deep breath. Tito acted like he was going to strike. Yeah. They circled. Yeah. Tito was doing most of the moving, wanting Silva to come for him. A fan yelled 'Go Tito!' Why? Silva missed a leg kick. Risky. Tito came for the takedown, Silva sprawled and landed a knee to the forehead and Tito moved back. They circled. Tito landed a right hand glancing off. Tito landed a body kick, Silva caught it and he tossed Tito down, Tito stood, ate a big right and went to his knees, rocked and stood and ran, Silva ran after him as Tito ran away wildly, he was running lmao. Silva landed a combination and another, Tito was fighting for the takedown. Silva was avoiding, sprawling desperately. Tito got him down into guard. Le sigh x10000. Layin' there. One minute and fifty seconds remained. Tito landed a few good shots. Yep.. Forty-five seconds remained. Fifteen seconds remained. Tito landed a good shot. The third round ended. The fourth round began. They circled. Yeah Tito sure you're gonna strike, stop headbobbin', bighead. They circled. The referee said 'let's get it on here, come on'. They circled. Silva missed a leg kick. They circled. Silva missed a leg kick. They circled. Silva missed a leg kick. Three minutes remained. Silva barely missed a combination, Tito came for the clinch and Silva defended for a moment but Tito got him down to full guard. Phew. Done. Two minutes left now... The commentator said 'The action's slowing a bit here'. Wait, it was fast? There was action? Wow, I must be blind. 'This pace has definitely slowed.' Phew. One minute now remained... Ten seconds remained. Tito postured up with some shots. The fourth round mercifully ended. The fifth round began. They circled. Silva missed a combination, Tito came in and got that takedown... Tito passed to side control. Tito moved himself back to full guard. Tito moved to half-guard. One minute and fifty-five seconds remained. Silva NEARLY managed to stand but Tito smothered him. Drunk idiots chanted 'USA'. Naval guests, Goldberg noted. Drunk fucking sailors. Thirty seconds. Thank you. Silva was almost up, on his knees, Tito smothered him. The fight ended. THANK YOU GOD! They hugged and shook hands full-heartedly, but Silva looked furstrated. Tito Ortiz got the win by unanimous decision, and he was the light-heavyweight champion. They hugged again.